Forever
by AspiringAuthor23
Summary: Just some Rose/Doctor fluffiness. Set the night after Doomsday, had Rose been able to stay. R


**A/N: I really felt the need to write tonight, so here's some fluffy-ish Doctor/Rose. Set post-Doomsday, had Rose been able to stay. Doctor Who isn't mine. Enjoy!**

As he walked through the corridors of the TARDIS, hands trailing against the walls as he thought through the day's events, he heard a small sniffling coming from Rose's room. The humming of the TARDIS quieted, seeming to urge him into entering—she seemed to say that she wouldn't interrupt, that Rose needed him.

He hesitated for a few seconds outside her door. He had spent a few nights lying next to her, Rose under the covers as he lay on the top of the comforter. Those nights he had still been in his suit as he wrapped his arms around her and she wrapped hers around him. Each protecting the other from the sights of the day. To be honest, these nights had helped him just as much as they had aided her. Because though he rarely showed it, he was broken enough to need the constant comfort she offered. Yet he didn't feel completely comfortable entering her room if she didn't ask him. But, he reasoned with himself, the TARDIS seemed to urge him into entering. Rose_ must_ need him.

Opening the door a crack, simply planning to see her and ensure to himself that she was fine, he peeked in. She was facing away from him, lying under the covers on her side, a photo frame in her hand. Tears slowly fell down her face as she stared at the picture, and she made no effort to wipe them away. Her face was devoid of makeup, which, in the Doctor's mind, made her look, if anything, more beautiful. The light was on low, just light enough for one to see her entire room and navigate it. She didn't know he was there, and he had the ability to leave without her knowing he had ever been there. But he felt compelled forward, taking a step or two into the room and feeling the soft carpet squish beneath his Converse sneakers.

"Rose?"

She looked up at him, raising a hand to wipe at her tears. It only made it halfway to her face before falling slowly back down to the bed, in such a defeated motion it made the Doctor's hearts break for her. "Doctor." Unconsciously, she moved over so he could sit, or lay, if he like, on her bed, and she placed the picture onto the floor.

He didn't reply, climbing onto the bed and facing her, lying on his side. She moved closer, burying her face into his chest as he instinctively put his arms around her. Speaking louder so he could hear her, she told him what was on her mind. "I miss them. And I can't just go back and see them anymore. I'll never see them again." Her voice, though revealing just how broken she was inside, was stronger than he had expected it would be.

He knew he shouldn't ask, but he couldn't help himself. All he wanted was for her to be happy, and if he could find a way to get her back, he would. Even if it would cause him heartbreak. He had suffered that before. She was young and whole. She deserved happiness if he could give it to her. And she deserved a new life if he couldn't and she hated him. It was his fault, after all, that she would never see them again. It was he who had closed the void. "Do you wish you had chosen differently?"

She pulled away from him, looking directly into his eyes. "No." Her answer was immediate, sure. "I've told you so many times. I'm never going to leave you. Anything could happen, but I will always find my way back. You'll never get rid of me." A small smile had found its way through the tears, though remnants of sadness were still making their way down her face. "It isn't your fault. I know what's going through your mind. You always blame yourself. It wasn't you; I chose to stay. I chose you over them two years ago, when I first met you, and I chose you again this time. That's never going to change." She put her face on the pillow, only a few centimeters from his, as she continued to look at him.

He stopped himself from allowing a large grin to break onto his face, knowing that this wasn't the time to joke around. She had just lost her family, and no matter what she said, she was distressed by the experience of the day.

A few minutes passed in silence as they simply stared into each other's eyes, her tears eventually drying up. Her eyes threatened to close without her consent, but she just wanted to continue studying his face. So much was written there. Years and years of experience and pain, as well as newer emotions of joy and adoration. His arms were still around her, comforting her. "Sleep, Rose. Tomorrow will be better. We could get fish and chips."

A tiny smile was on his face as he watched her fall from consciousness. She would feel better in the morning, though the loss of her mother and Mickey, as well as her newfound father, would haunt her for months, years. The harsh pain would only last a few weeks, but the loss would stay there forever. He knew from experience. But the difference was that she had him. He would always be there to hold her, to comfort her.

As she finally fell asleep, a tiny smile made its way onto her face as she registered what he had said, though she was too tired to respond. Leaning forward a bit, he kissed her forehead before closing his eyes and forcing himself into a sleep he didn't need. Because there wasn't any way that he would abandon her tonight.


End file.
